Education Policy & School Reform News

Solving the huge debt incurred by young adults who took out loans to attend college has become a key policy debate. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., for example, recently announced proposed legislation to eliminate student loan debt by taxing bonds and stocks. By the beginning of 2019, student loan debt was at an all-time high: Over…

Before hitting the road for their summer vacations, the justices of the Supreme Court announced last week that they would hear a major school choice case in the next term. If the court rules in favor of the families that brought this case, it could pave the way for educational freedom and opportunity for millions…

Families in the nation’s capital deserve a choice about educating their children. This year, Congress has the chance to make changes to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program—up for reauthorization—that could positively affect the future of D.C. children for decades to come. The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program provides scholarships to cover private school tuition for low-income…

While protecting American freedom, the active-duty men and women of our armed forces want education freedom as well. That’s the general finding of a new report by EdChoice, a nonprofit organization that promotes educational choice through research and advocacy. The report includes results of a survey of nearly 1,300 current members of the U.S. military…

Don’t say America wasn’t warned. During the oral arguments for same-sex marriage in 2015, a question came up about the fallout for Christian education. Asked if religious schools could be punished for holding a natural view of marriage, U.S. Solicitor Donald Verrilli was surprisingly honest. ” … [I]t’s certainly going to be an issue. I…

Recent events in higher education have led many to conclude that college campuses are hubs of anti-Semitism. Stanford University student and resident assistant Hamzeh Daoud declared in July 2018 his intent to “physically fight Zionists on campus.” Oberlin College professor Joy Karega asserted in November 2016 that U.S. intelligence agencies conspired with Israel to commit…

Gerald Watson, a high school freshman in Washington, D.C., died in December after he was chased down and shot 17 times near an after-school program center. His killing occurred less than four miles from the U.S. Capitol Building. Watson’s death reverberated through the local community, affecting its youngest members. Marilyn Wiggins, a volunteer at the…

Before Congress adjourned for Memorial Day weekend, Sen. Ted Cruz objected to a new retirement saving bill passed by the House because it left out one important reform. The Texas Republican is standing up for expanded access to personal savings options for family education choice. In 2017, college savings plans, or “529s,” were modified to…

The College Board’s recent announcement that it will no longer score students based only on their ability to correctly answer questions on the SAT exam is about as welcome as a pop quiz. Students will now also be assigned “adversity scores” of one to 100 using 15 different metrics regarding their background. The more disadvantaged a student is…

Butler College Prep, a top-rated charter school on the South Side of Chicago, provides an atmosphere that reflects and engages the local community. The founder and principal, Christopher Goins, built his school community by intentionally hiring teachers from historically black colleges so students would have relatable role models. “If [students] don’t love the school and…